How early can I renew a passport?
 

My kids passports expire later this year. I've searched the state department website, but found nothing on how far out I can renew. The passports expire in November, but I will be getting new visas for their passports in two months. it's sort of a chicken and egg situation.
My back up plan is to get the visa, renew the passports closer to the expiration date and then spend a day (or two) waiting at the home office having the visas transfered.
Any thoughts? I'm sure this has happended to others.

In my experience, you don't need to have the visas transferred, you just bring your children's old (expired) passport with the visas and your their (current) passports and show both an immigration. I have not had any issue with this in many years of travel.

I'm not sure there IS any limit on how far out you can renew your passport which may be why you didn't find anything on the State Dept site...I think you can go ahead and renew now if you wish and you have plenty of time. I renewed in December by mail (through the office in Pittsburgh) and had the new one in less than three weeks (and that was using the "normal" speed service).

Unlike some countries where you can only apply within a certain period of time, in the US there is no limit. In fact I renewed mine 2 years early because I had run out of pages and didn't want to add bulk to my current passport by adding pages. No questions. No problems.

Oops... Just caught "home office" -- I don't know the UK rules -- but Cicerone seems to :)

OK - I am also confused about the State Department/Home Office references.

But since you mentioned State first I'll go w/ the US requirements. I also don't think there is a maximum time for renewal. I always renew when there is about 6 months left. But once renewed w/ a year left because I was planning a trip to the old USSR and had to have a lot of lead time for visas etc . . . . . . .

Highledge-there is no regulation on when you may renew your passport, and you would be well-advised to do it NOW-most people don't seem to realize that in many countries, both in Europe and Asia-you are REQUIRED to have at least 6 months validity left on your passport before entering the country. I don't know where you're going, but since the passports expire in November, you should start the renewal process immediately, given that the summer rush will cause a bit of delay if you're renewing passports by mail-sometimes up to 6 weeks.

thanks for the info. I have US passports but live in the UK and need to have our visa (to stay in the UK0 renewed. The kids' passports expire in Nov of this year.
I wouldn't want to travel with the expired and current passports as I'd then have to have TEN passports to keep track of.
the Home Office (in the UK) will issue the visas for the US passport. Hence the reference.

I was asked about by Visa expiration when I was on the eurostar last month. The imigration officer asked if I was staying in the UK past April. Not if the visa isn't renewed I replied.

I will probably take a trip to the embassy and try to sort the renewal out asap. Thanks for the help and replies.

Highledge, even though my passport doesn't expire until 2010, I'm getting a new one shortly because the one I have now isn't machine readable (issued in 2002 in Brussels as a replacement for a stolen passport). Passport control guys in Dusseldorf and London both said I would no longer be able to enter the U.S. with my "old fashioned" passport (it works fine for traveling within Europe). I will then get a new Settlement Wife visa (for the UK) in my new U.S. passport.

For Cicerone.

Any connection with the publisher of books?